Lucky Dube facts for kids

Lucky Philip Dube (pronounced doo-beh; born 3 August 1964 – died 18 October 2007) was a famous South African reggae musician. Many people think he was one of the most important musicians in African music history. He was also considered one of the greatest reggae musicians ever.

Lucky Dube recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English, and Afrikaans over 25 years. He became South Africa's and Africa's best-selling reggae superstar. On 18 October 2007, Lucky Dube passed away in Johannesburg.

Biography

Early life

Lucky Dube was born in Ermelo, South Africa, on 3 August 1964. His parents separated before he was born. His mother named him Lucky because she felt his birth was a blessing after she had faced difficulties.

Lucky grew up with his grandmother, Sarah, and his two siblings, Thandi and Mandla. His grandmother was very important to him. He once said she was "his greatest love" and helped him become a responsible person.

Beginning of his musical career

As a child, Lucky Dube worked as a gardener. Later, he realized he needed to earn more to support his family. He decided to go to school. There, he joined a choir and formed his first band, The Skyway Band, with some friends.

At 18, Lucky joined his cousin's band, The Love Brothers. They played Zulu pop music called mbaqanga. He also worked as a security guard to earn money. The band signed with Teal Record Company. Lucky recorded music with them during his school holidays. Their first album was called Lucky Dube and the Supersoul. He started writing some of the songs for their second album and began learning English around this time.

Moving into reggae

After his fifth album, Lucky Dube decided to focus on his own name for his music. He noticed that fans really liked the reggae songs he played at his concerts. He was inspired by famous reggae artists like Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh.

Lucky felt that the messages in Jamaican reggae, which often spoke about social and political issues, were important for people in South Africa. South Africa at the time had a system called apartheid, which treated people unfairly based on their race.

In 1984, he released his first reggae album, Rastas Never Die. It did not sell many copies. The government banned the album in 1985 because its songs, like "War and Crime", criticized the apartheid system. But Lucky Dube did not give up. He kept performing reggae live. He then released his second reggae album, Think About The Children, in 1985. This album sold very well and made him a popular reggae artist in South Africa and beyond.

Commercial and global success

Lucky Dube continued to release successful albums. In 1989, he won four OKTV Awards for his album Prisoner. He won more awards in the following years for Captured Live and House of Exile. His 1993 album, Victims, sold over one million copies worldwide.

In 1995, he signed a global recording deal with Motown. His album Trinity was the first release on Tabu Records after Motown bought the label. In 1996, his album Serious Reggae Business led to him being named the "Best Selling African Recording Artist" at the World Music Awards. He also won "International Artist of the Year" at the Ghana Music Awards.

Lucky Dube toured all over the world. He performed with famous artists like Sinéad O'Connor, Peter Gabriel, and Sting. He also acted in movies such as Voice in the Dark and Lucky Strikes Back. Lucky Dube used his reggae music to speak out against unfairness and promote equality in Africa. He helped bring African culture and voices to the global stage through his music.

Death

On 18 October 2007, Lucky Dube passed away in Johannesburg. He was dropping off two of his children at their uncle's house. Police arrested five men in connection with the crime. Three of them were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on 31 March 2009.

Legacy

Lucky Dube's music continues to be celebrated. In 2008, a collection of his most famous songs, called Retrospective, was released. This album honored his music and his contributions to South Africa.

Lucky Dube was one of the first artists to bring African reggae to a wide audience. His music helped connect different cultures within the African community around the world. He gave Africa a voice and shared its culture globally. His songs spoke about important issues and helped make reggae a popular way to protest and inspire change.

In Australia, Lucky Dube's music is very popular, especially in remote Aboriginal communities. Some people there even say he was "Bigger than the Beatles". He toured Australia in 2005, playing to large crowds in cities like Alice Springs, Darwin, and Cairns.

In 2017, Gallo Records South Africa released a special album called The Times We've Shared. It included his biggest hits and some songs that had never been released before.

Discography

Mbaqanga

• Lengane Ngeyethu (1981)
• Kudala Ngikuncenga (1982)
• Kukuwe (1983)
• Abathakathi (1984)
• Ngikwethembe Na? (1985)
• Umadakeni (1987)
• Usizi

Afrikaans

• Die Kaapse Dans ("Cape Dance") (1986) – as Oom Hansie
• Help My Krap ("Help Me Scratch") (1986) EP – as Oom Hansie

Reggae

• Rastas Never Dies (1984) EP
• Remember Me (1994)
• Think About the Children (1985)
• Slave (1987)
• Together As One (1988)
• Prisoner (1989)
• Captured Live (1990)
• House of Exile (1991)
• Victims (1993)
• Trinity (1995)
• Taxman (1997)
• The way It Is (1999)
• Soul Taker (2001)
• The Other Side (2003)
• Respect (2006)
• Different Colours
• It's not easy

Compilation

• Serious Reggae Business (1996)
• Live in Jamaica (2000)
• The Rough Guide To Lucky Dube (2001)
• Lucky Dube Live in Uganda (2003)
• Retrospective (2008)
• The Ultimate Lucky Dube (2011)
• Lucky Dube meets Uganda's Buka Buka 2003
• Lucky Dube meets Rwanda's souve souve 2004
• The Times We've Shared (2017)
• The Victim

Images for kids

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  A robot friend

See also

In Spanish: Lucky Dube para niños